‘Religion is incompatible with modern life.’ What is your view?
Students need to show understanding of what the terms ‘religion’ and ‘modern life’ mean.
▪ The question proposes that the role and values of religion do not reconcile/ are not in harmony with features/aspects of modern life.
▪ This is a direct argumentative question that allows students to either agree or disagree with the proposition.
▪ To agree with the proposition, students need to show knowledge of the atheists’ arguments against religion and justify them with evidence from aspects of modern life that contradicts the relevance and value of religion.
▪ Similarly, to disagree with the proposition, arguments to defend the value and relevance of religion to modern life need to be surfaced and proved.
▪ For balance, students must consider opposing viewpoints and counter them effectively.
Yes, Religion is incompatible with modern life:
- With the advent of science and technology, man does not need to be so dependent on religion for previously unexplained ‘mysteries’ or ‘miracles’.
- Religious extremism sees Secularism as the evil of modern life. Hence secularism is under threat in many parts of the world by religious zealots because of its inability to foster social cohesiveness and stem moral the existence of religion, which is about faith in a particular system of belief, might be at odds with the presence and progress in the scientific field which looks at facts and logic.
No, Religion is compatible with modern life:
- Religion used to serve and still serves very useful functions in our past and modern society.
- Acts as a moral check on many secular issues e.g. capital punishment, drugs, abortion, cloning. Without this moral check, the world might very well degenerate into a world with no regard for moral values whatsoever.
- Provides emotional security and spiritual fulfilment in troubled times, provides direction and assurance in an age of uncertainties and constant changes. Thus it has value and relevance to modern living.
- A broader and more open interpretation allows for more inclusion, acceptance and understanding of diversity and differences thereby proving compatibility.
